Apparatus for synchronizing clocks



(No Model.)

J. A. LUND.

APPARATUS FOR SYNGHRONIZING GLOGKS. No. 812,482. Patented Feb. 17, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ALEXANDER LUND, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE STAND- ARD TIMECOMPANY, OF NE? HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR SYNCHRONIZING CLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 312,482, dated February17, 1885.

Application filed May 21, 1884. (No model.) Patented in England JanuaryI,1SS-1,Y0.241, and in France February 25, 188-1, No. 160,543.

To aZZ whom it may concern: will strike the left-hand finger, and itsfur- Beitknownthatl, J OHNALEXANDERLUND, ther movement will be arrested,so that not of London, England, have invented a new Imonlyis the clockstopped, but the synchronizprovement in Apparatus for Synchronizinging-fingers are locked, so as to prevent their 5 Clocks; and I do herebydeclare the i'ollowreturn, and the clock cannot be started until 55 ing,when taken in connection with accomthe parts are readjusted. panyingdrawings and the letters of reference The object of my invention is toovercome marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact this difficulty;and it consists in hanging one description of the same, and whichsaidd-raw- (theleft-hand) or both the fingers upon a pivot 1o ingsconstitute part of this specification, and upon which the fingers, one(theleft-hand) or 60 represent, in both,n1ay swing from one extreme tothe other,

Figurel, afrontviewofa portion of aclockwhereby should the fingers bebrought todial, showing the synchronizing-fingers; Fig. gether beforethe proper time, and the pointer 2, a top view of the synchronizingmechanthen strike the lett-hand finger, it will easily 1 ism; Fig. 3, atransverse section on line or pass on, carrying the finger toward theother. 6 of Fig. 2, looking forward, and showing the extreme until thepointer willescape, the said arms in their normal or inactive condition;finger counterbalanced,so thatafterthepointer Fig. 4, a sectional sideview showing the has thus escaped it willautomatically be reparts intheir normal condition or open cirturned, and thus will not interferewith the cult; Fig. 5, the same, showing the circuit proper runningofthe clock should the synch- 7o closed; Fig. 6, the same as Fig. 3,showing ronizing mechanism be out of order, and as the arms as in theclosed or synchronizing pomore fully hereinafter described.

sition; Fig. 7, a front view of the synchroniz As represented in Fig.3,two arms, a I), are ing-fingers, to illustrate the operation of thehung upon a pivot, d, and so as to swing in a pointer thereon when thelelt-hand finger is plane parallel with the clockdial, as shown. 7 5from any cause caught in its down position. These arms are in rear ofthe clock dial. Thisinvention relates to an improvementin lThrough thedial is a segment-shaped slot, 6, apparatus for synchronizing clocks,such as of which the pivot (Z is the center. employ a pair of fingersworking through a From the arm a afinger, f, projects through slot inthe dial of the clock, and which, as the the slot, as seen in Figs. 1and 2, and from the minute-pointer approaches twelve, or the terotherarm, I), a like finger, 5 projects through mination of the hour, will bebrought to the slot, substantially as do the fingers in the gether oneupon one side and the other upon Lund synchronizer. The normal positionsthe opposite side, so as to turn the pointer to of these fingers are attheir respective ends of I 35 the true time, if it be fast or slow, andsuch the slot, and at such a distance from the path as known as the Lundsynchronizer. of the minute-pointer it that that pointer may L In themore general construction of this class pass both pins, as seen inFig. 1. The arms of synchronizers the movement of the fingers a b arecounterbalanced, the one,c, byaweight, is from their extreme openposition to the ceni, the other, I), by a weight, k, these counter 40tral position,one upon one side and the other balancing-weights beingupon the opposite upon the opposite side of the pointer. This side ofthe pivot, and so that these weights movement having been accomplished,the finby their own gravity serve to hold the arms gers are designed toreturn to their extreme at their respective extremes, and as seen in lposition to permit the pointer to proceed. Fig. 3. From the hub of thearm a is a pro- It not infrequently occurs that, through. jeetion, Z, onthe same side of the hub as the some derangement of the circuit ormechanarm, and fromthe arm bisa like projectiomm. ism, the pointers arebrought together out of a is an armature of a magnet, A, to which I timeand will remain in their closed or setthe lines run in the usual manner,and so that ting position. In such case, as the pointer when the circuitis closed the armature will 50 advances to twelve, or the close of thehour, it be attracted to the magnet. From the armaioo ture two fingers,0 1), project forward, the one. 0, standing over the projection Z on thearm a, the other, 1), over the projection in of the arm Vhen the circuitis broken and the armature away from the magnet, as seen in Fig. 4, thefingers 0 p are raised from the projections m Z, so as to permit thefingers f g to stand at their respective extremes; but when the circuitis closed to draw the armature to the magnet, as seen in Fig. 5, thenthe fingers 0 p are thrown down upon the projections Z m and turn thearms a I), bringing thefingers together, as seen in Fig. 6, which is thesynchronizing position. So soon as the circuit is broken the armatureleaves the magnet. Then the fingers f g are free. and return by theircounterbalance to their two extreme or normal positions, as seen in Fig.3. It' through any defect in the circuit or mechanism the left-handfinger.f,should come to its central po sition. as seen in Fig. 7, out oftime and there 1emain,or come down in advan 'eof the pointer 1 h, thenthe pointer will strike that finger, as

seen in Fig. 7, and because the finger is free from the mechanism whichoperates the synchronizer the pointer will carry the finger onward untilit can escape theret'rom, as also indicated in Fig. 7. Then thefinger-is tree to return undertheinfluenceoftheconliter-balance.

I claim 1. A mechanism for synchronizing clocks, substantially such asdescribed, consisting of a pair of fingers arranged to approach eachother to turn the pointer at a predetermined time, one of said fingersprojecting from an arm hung upon a pivot to swing in a plane sbstantially parallel with the plane of the dial, and provided with acounter balance arranged to permit the said one finger to be turnedtoward the opposite extreme under the action of the pointer, and so thatas it ap proaches the opposite extreme the pointer will escapetherefrom, the said counter-balance serving to return said finger, andmechanism, substantiallysuch as described, for turning said fingers at apredetermined time, substantially as specified.

2. In a clocksynchronizingn'iccha1'1ism,the combination of the two armsa I), hung upon a pivot to swing in a plane parallel with the V thearmature provided with fingers 0 2), ar- *5 ranged to bear upon saidarms to operate the synchronizing-fingers when the circuit is closed andrelease said arms when the circuit is broken, substantially asdescribed.

JOHN ALEXANDER LUND. \Vitnesses:

EDMOND ALEXANDER Baco'r, 35 Oa'lg/ield Bond, Clapton, iifiddlcsex.

LUKE TURNER, 5S King sbur 1367.,

BaZZs Pond, It. London, N.

